Trofeeën met manden en jachthoorns

This print, *Trophies with Baskets and Hunting Horns,* was made by Pierre François Tardieu, sometime in the mid-18th century. It's an etching, meaning that the image was incised into a copper plate with acid, then printed onto paper. The etching medium lends itself well to the subject: a jumble of hunting paraphernalia. We see horns, baskets, and dead game, all rendered with considerable detail. Note the contrast between the open weave of the baskets and the smooth surfaces of the horns, effects achieved through skillful manipulation of line. While etching is often considered a "fine art" medium, prints like these often functioned as designs for other crafts. Goldsmiths, furniture makers, and other artisans would have used them as source material. The skill involved in producing this etching, like the skill deployed in the hunt, would have been seen as a form of cultural capital. This print, therefore, is not just a picture of aristocratic leisure, but an advertisement for it. It reminds us that there were many ways to show off your skills and taste in 18th century Europe.